Dr. John O’Keefe spoke with Drs. Paul Allison and Carlos Quiñonez about a recent meeting held at McGill University that centred on access to oral healthcare. Highlights The panel discussion was set-up as part of a 2-day symposium dealing with outreach and health delivery systems. There was much learning about models of delivery and resulting outcomes. The panel discussion was open to the public. The panelists were made up of representatives of two groups with difficulty accessing care, those in poverty and those with physical disabilities: Dr. Antonia Maioni, Dean, Faculty of Arts, McGill University Dr. Peter White is a dentist ...

In this video, Dr. Suham Alexander asks Timothy Brown, President and CEO of ROICorp, to give dentists the basics on practice appraisals. A is for APPRAISAL All owners should have their practice(s) appraised at regular frequencies. An appraisal is a document that supplements other relevant and important personal and professional documents, including wills, financial statements etc. The document can be used for various purposes such as insurance, divorce settlements, disability or death amongst others and most obviously, practice sales. The document is not actually written for the owner but, for the intended reader. B is for BROKER The appraisal document ...

Highlights Dr. Deborah Battrum, an endodontist from British Columbia, spoke with Dr. John O’Keefe about an issue that has been on her mind lately. Since the election of a new American President who denigrates women, minorities and those with disabilities, Deborah feels uncomfortable purchasing equipment and supplies made in the United States. This issue is important and close to Deborah’s heart; she feels as Canadian dentists we should not be supporting goods and products from countries whose morals and values do not align with ours. Currently, it is not easy to find products or supplies from other countries other than ...

Dr. Larry Levin spoke with Dr. Chiraz Guessaier about his attendance at the recent Health Canada Opioid Conference on November 18, 2016. The conference discussed relevant issues related to the harmful effects of opioid use. Highlights The Canadian government is aware of the crisis that has been growing over the past years. Canada is second worldwide in opioid use. The initiative was co-chaired by the federal and provincial (Ontario) ministers of health. A broad spectrum of stakeholders were invited to participate including first responders, doctors, long-term addiction care workers, social workers, and members of affected families. What is the role ...

Guessy Wang, a 4th-year student at Western University and the founder of the Students Professionalism and Ethics Association (SPEA), spoke with Dr. Chiraz Guessaier about this SPEA chapter established in 2015. Highlights The focus of SPEA is professionalism and ethics in dentistry which aligns with the Practice Administration course at Western. The chapter has hosted several events: “Graduation and then what?” for 3rd/4th year students with guest speakers to discuss the excitement and challenges that may be faced post-graduation “Main Clinic Ready” event – clinicians spoke with lower year students about how to prepare for clinic Surviving the 1st year – ...

Dr. John O’Keefe spoke with Dr. Anne Twomey, past President of the Irish Dental Association and who recently addressed the Irish Gerontologist’s Society. The society is composed of consultant geriatricians who are strong advocates for multidisciplinary team approaches in caring for patients; however, no dentist had spoken to this organization to date. As such, Dr. Twomey shared her experiences and insights gained from her practice with their members. Highlights Better outcomes for patients can be expected, if dentists are included in patient care early in their overall care plan. Preventive care is very important for elderly patients. There are several ...

Dr. Chiraz Guessaier spoke with Dr. Cristin Kearns about the journey that sugar has taken to fully permeate our diet. Dr. Kearns research started to look at the practices of the sugar industry in 2007. Highlights Dentists often speak with patients on an individual level about the impact sugar in diets has on dental health; however, the discussion should also involve the population at large. Food labelling practices promote foods that are high in sugar. The cane and beet sugar industry has had a strong influence on the food industry by casting doubts on the link between sugar and health ...

Drs. Joel Rosenbloom, Lindsay Louwagie, and Bhavna Sharma, from the University of Toronto, spoke with Dr. Chiraz Guessaier about their recent trip to Ethiopia within the Toronto-Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC). Highlights The Toronto-Addis Ababa Collaborative is the university of Toronto’s largest global academic program to teach graduate students in Addis Ababa in Medicine, Nursing and Social Studies who will be amongst the leaders instructing the next generation of academics and professionals in Addis Ababa. For the Faculty of Dentistry, the goals of the collaborative were to strengthen the bonds between the University of Toronto and the Addis Ababa University ...